


candles

by covellite



Category: Hermitcraft RPF
Genre: Emotional Manipulation, M/M, Magic, Manipulation, Unhealthy Relationships, not a good ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:41:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27910936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/covellite/pseuds/covellite
Summary: Tango loves his best friends. He is also a demon capable of modifying the world as he wants. This doesn't go well for his friends.
Relationships: ImpulseSV/Zedaph, Tango Tek/Zedaph (Video Blogging RPF), impulseSV & Tango Tek & Zedaph (Video Blogging RPF), impulseSV/Tango Tek (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 40





	candles

Impulse and Zedaph loved each other in a way they would never love Tango, and that was okay. Tango was okay with that. He really was.

Except, sometimes, when he was alone in his base at night, he'd imagine himself with them, and not in the way he usually was - not as a platonic best friend to hang out with and nothing more, but as a partner to hold and kiss and go home with in the evenings. He craved it like he craved the sun in winter and the moon in summer. But he knew the two of them weren't looking for another partner, and they definitely weren't looking for _him_ , so he kept his mouth shut.

In his darker moments, he thought things he would never dare admit. He wished he'd never introduced them to each other, never encouraged the two of them to explore their feelings for each other. He hadn't felt the longing for them then, or if he had he hadn't noticed. He had loved spending time with each of them alone, had loved the little inside jokes they'd make and the schemes they'd get up to. He still did get to see them separately now, but it was different. He saw both of them often, and his heart delighted every time Impulse smiled at him or Zedaph grabbed him by the hand to show him something, but it soured whenever he saw them kiss or call one another by a pet name.

Most of the time, he shoved those thoughts away and refused to think about them. He didn't want to be the kind of guy who thought horrible things about his friends just because they loved each other, and he _really_ didn't want to be the kind of guy who actually _did_ horrible things to them. The problem with refusing to acknowledge those thoughts, of course, was that they stayed in his head. Waiting. Sticking to each other and growing into a great big ball of nastiness waiting for the right moment to make Tango _snap_.

That moment, as it turned out, was Zedaph and Impulse's anniversary.

They'd both asked Tango for help setting their date up, and Tango could never say no to either of them, so he found himself spending the week preparing the best date he could think of, wishing the whole while that he could be by their side when it actually happened.

They'd chosen a small, open yet secluded, area for their date. The clearing had been lined with candles and carefully decorated with flower petals. They would be far away from any of the other hermits, so there would be no distractions or outside noise. It was gorgeous. It was, as Tango was uncomfortably aware the entire time he was helping Impulse and Tango, the perfect place for magic.

Tango didn't often use his demonic abilities, he rarely found himself needing to, and considered using them in non-disastrous occasions to be cheating. Just because he _could_ summon himself a shulker box full of diamond blocks didn't mean he _should_. Almost anything Tango wanted could be accomplished with redstone or other game mechanics anyway, and he found those much more fun than magic. It still thrummed in his veins though, still made him highly aware whenever he was in a place where his abilities would be strongest. A flat, clean area surrounded by candles and far from most technology? The magic in his veins was begging to be let out almost as much as his feelings.

Impulse and Zedaph had asked him to light the candles for them, and Tango had naturally agreed. The candles lining the area were easy to light, but the moment the final one was lit he felt the magic grow even more restless. He could do anything. He could make Impulse and Zedaph think he'd been part of their relationship all along, he just had to will it to be true. They would never know the difference. He could wait there for them and they'd come cover him in kisses and soft words and- _no_.

Tango shook his head and blinked hard. He couldn't mess with their hearts like that. It would be beyond wrong.

He put down one final candle in the middle of the small table set up in the clearing. Its unlit form beckoned at him. He couldn't, _wouldn’t_ , mess with Impulse and Zedaph's hearts… but he could sway the future in a certain direction.

Tango lit the final candle, and the ritual was complete.

It was no surprise when Impulse crawled into Tango's bed that night.

"We had a fight," he told Tango between sobs. "A bad one. I think- I think we-"

Tango let Impulse cry into his chest as he rubbed Impulse's back, ignoring the guilt gnawing at his conscience. Impulse fell asleep in his arms, looking impossibly small and fragile. It hurt to see him like that, but Tango ignored this too. Everything would be just like it used to be soon enough, he told himself. All he had to do was not say anything stupid.

In the following days, it became clear that whatever the fight had been about, it had well and truly destroyed Impulse and Zedaph's relationship. They'd only spoken to each other once in that time, and it had resulted in them shouting at each other until Zedaph kicked Impulse out of his base for good. Impulse had come crawling back to Tango again, and Tango had to fight the pleased smile off his face. Falling asleep with Impulse in his arms was just as wonderful as he’d hoped, even if the situation wasn’t exactly how he’d imagined. He had Impulse to himself again.

Zedaph was a slightly more difficult challenge. He rarely left his base at the best of times, and with Impulse constantly hanging around, it was hard for Tango to find an excuse to go see him. But eventually Impulse’s worries got to him, and he left Tango’s side to go double and triple check all his farms that he’d left abandoned for the past few days, and Tango used that time to go check on Zedaph.

Zedaph was, predictably, knee-deep in some bizarre contraption that Tango was sure he’d never understand no matter how much Zedaph tried to explain. He perched on top of a nearby chest and listened to Zedaph ramble on about his contraption, hanging onto every word while also getting thoroughly distracted by the way Zedaph’s hair shined in the artificial light of the cave. At some point, Zedaph’s rambling moved from his machinery to Impulse, and even though it stung a bit to hear Impulse talked about in such a manner, Tango kept his mouth shut.

“And he’s so clingy! All the time!” Zedaph said, yanking some redstone loose from a comparator. “How did you get away from him? Hasn’t he been hanging off your arm all week?”

“He has,” Tango said carefully. “He had to go check on his farms today.”

“And you came to visit me instead of going with him.” A pleased tone rang through Zedaph’s voice as he spoke, and the sound of it made Tango’s face warm. “What did Impulse have to say about _that_?”

“He, well, I didn’t tell him.”

“What? Why not?” Zedaph asked, breaking away from his redstone to stand in front of Tango, almost looming over him.

“You know how Impulse gets,” Tango said, unsure of what else to say. Zedaph nodded.

“He gets so jealous, doesn’t he?”

Tango didn’t really consider Impulse the jealous type so he shrugged, not wanting to say something bad about Impulse nor upset Zedaph.

A grin widened across Zedaph’s face, and Tango found himself leaning closer. “You know what would really annoy him?” Zedaph said with a giggle.

“What?”

Instead of answering, Zedaph brought a hand up to Tango’s head, brushing his hair out of his face, and leaned down.

Impulse didn’t visit Tango that night, which Tango was privately thankful for. He wasn’t sure he could bear to look Impulse in the eyes after what he and Zedaph had done. Not that he had any reason to feel guilty, of course. Zedaph was single, and willing, and that was the end of the story. Tango hadn’t done anything wrong, no matter what his brain told him.

He didn’t tell Impulse about his newly-physical relationship with Zedaph even as their trysts became more and more frequent. He just knew Impulse would react poorly, and didn’t want to deal with the awkwardness.

In the end, it wasn’t Tango who told Impulse.

“So I saw Zedaph in the shopping district,” Impulse said casually as they worked on a farm together.

“Oh?” Tango tried to keep his racing heart under control.

“He said he spends a lot of time with you.”

“I guess, yeah. We’re still friends.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Impulse put down the glass he was holding and gently touched Tango’s shoulder. “Why?”

Tango grumbled under his breath, but put down his own blocks to look at Impulse. “I don’t know. He came onto me and I let him. Then we just never stopped.”

Impulse’s eye twitched, but he maintained his genial appearance. “Well. I’m glad to hear you two are getting along.”

“You sure? You’re acting kinda weird about it.”

“I don’t care. I know what he’s doing and I won’t let it get to me,” Impulse said. He picked his blocks up and started working again, as if Tango would be satisfied with ending the conversation there.

“No, hold on. What do you think Zedaph’s doing?”

“I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough.”

“Impulse, come on. Don’t be like this.”

“Like what?”

“You know exactly what. Tell me what’s wrong.”

Impulse looked up at him, eyes dark and angry. “Don’t be stupid,” he said, words and tone throwing Tango for a loop.

Tango took an instinctive step back and put his hands up. “Okay, okay, I get it. I should have at least told you that me and Zed are seeing each other. I’m sorry.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really,” Tango said, exasperation seeping into his voice.

Impulse surged forward and grabbed his shoulders, pressing his forehead to Tango’s in a way that made Tango’s heart rate increase for more than one reason. “Are you doing this on purpose?” he growled.

Tango opened his mouth, but no words came out. Impulse rolled his eyes.

“He’s only doing this to try and make me jealous,” he said. “He’s gonna drop you just like he dropped me.”

“I’m okay with that,” Tango lied. Zedaph had no reason to leave him, no matter what Impulse thought. Tango would make sure of it.

“Are you really?” There was a challenge to Impulse’s words, one that made Tango’s mouth go dry. He licked his lips and watched as Impulse’s eyes followed the movement.

“I am. And I’ll prove it.”

Zedaph clearly knew about the recent developments with Impulse, but didn’t say a word. His hands held him more harshly, his tone a little more biting whenever Impulse came up in conversation, but he refused to say a word about his actual feelings toward the matter. Not that Tango was eager to have that conversation either, but the strangeness of it pulled on the guilt he’d been feeling since their anniversary.

“Was it worth it?” Zedaph asked late one night when they were lying together half-asleep in bed, Tango treasuring the feeling of Zedaph in his arms and wishing Impulse was there with them.

_Would I have had both of you if I’d been honest?_ Tango asked himself. _Or is this the best I can ever have?_

“Yeah,” he said. “It was.”


End file.
